The first beauty queen in a free South Africa
Beauty queen turned media entrepreneur Basetsana Kumalo was the first woman to be crowned Miss South Africa after her country's first democratic elections.
Basetsana Kumalo is easily one of South Africa’s most recognisable celebrity figures. She shot to fame as Miss South Africa in 1994, just months after Nelson Mandela was elected president. Basetsana was the first black contestant to win the contest in the country's new "freedom era" and, by default, became the face of South Africa’s new democracy. After this Basetsana hosted one of the country's top lifestyle programmes and today she's a successful media entrepreneur. Her book is called: Bassie, My Journey of Hope. This programme was first broadcast on 11th January 2020.
Presenter: Andile Masuku
Producer: Deiniol Buxton
Picture: Basetsana Kumalo at the SA Style Awards in Johannesburg.
Credit: Gallo Images / Contributor
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com
Last on
Broadcasts
- Sat 18 Sep 2021 08:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Sun 19 Sep 2021 08:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Sun 19 Sep 2021 22:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
Contact Outlook
Info on how we might use your contribution on air
Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary
Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected